Crimes against language, No 3: “Hopefully”

There’s a terrific saying about how the more someone learns the less they want to know – we can’t quite remember how it goes. But we do know how that feels. Just this morning, great friend of the site, a Welshman called Daf, got in touch. He was livid about how so many kids these days have forgotten how to talk proper. Daf, we totally agree. He had this to say…

Do you know that the word “hopefully” is misused like a bitch all of the time?

This is how it’s generally used: “Yeah, hopefully, I’ll see you later.” (apparently this is called a shibboleth).

This is how it should be used: “We worked hopefully and energetically, thinking we might finish first” – ie. in a hopeful manner.

Daf then slammed down the phone, and ran hysterically into the street, weeping. Hopefully he’ll calm down soon.

Josh has been a writer and journalist for the best part of twenty years and has written for modern staples like FHM and Cosmopolitan and The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. He has also written a small handful of so-so books that you can still buy.